Understanding Parenting and Pregnant Women’s Perceptions of Accessing, Utilizing, and Barriers to Seeking Social Support for Mental Well-Being

Abstract

Social support has been considered essential for enhancing mental well-being. However, perceptions of support are crucial for promoting psychological well-being, which is shaped by one’s social position across axes of socioeconomic status and gender. This study sought to improve understanding of how pregnant and parenting women living in socioeconomic challenging circumstances perceive social support in order to identify what is working and what needs improvement in mobilizing existing support services. Virtual focus group discussions were conducted with twenty-four women living in British Columbia, Canada. Five themes emerged using thematic analysis: lived realities of motherhood; types of social support women access; barriers they face when accessing support; impact of the pandemic on support services; and women’s recommendations to improve support services. Our findings inform a better understanding of women’s contextual realities in which they live and the need for inclusive supportive approaches for women and their families.